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323297868683How To Get Over Blogging Burnout And Keep On Goinghttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Untemplater/~3/5N7zsy8pH3g/
https://untemplater.com/untemplate/how-to-get-over-blogging-burnout-and-keep-on-going/#commentsMon, 02 Jul 2018 11:08:25 +0000https://untemplater.com/?p=19881When it comes to any type of work, there will inevitably come a time when you get burnt out. This is especially true with blogging. The first year I started blogging, I felt invincible. I had endless energy and worked around the clock. When I wasn’t at my day job, I was glued to my laptop doing something blogging related. Fast forward to 2017 and my life as a blogger was turned upside down – I had a baby! When I wasn’t busy with childcare, I was trying to get caught up on sleep. Now that my son is getting more independent, we’re both sleeping a lot better. And now that we have somewhat regular help from babysitters I’ve been able to start getting back into the swing of things with work and writing. I’m still not as fast at publishing as I’d like to be, but I’ve been working on several different blogging related projects outside of Untemplater about 6-7 days a week. Anyway, if you’re a fellow blogger running out of steam, I know how it feels! I hope this post will help you cope with blogging burnout and keep on going.

Who Suffers From Blogging Burnout?

Blogging burn out is pretty much inevitable. Blog long enough and even the best of us will experience burnout. Life gets hectic, or perhaps you get sick, lazy, bored, exhausted, angry at rude readers, you name it.

However, I’ve noticed that those who lash out the most online are often the one’s who are the most tired. They don’t want to write more content to keep things going. They let the summer months of slower traffic get them down. They see other bloggers create products and call them a sell-out. It’s much easier to discredit others than work harder to create more progress of your own.

I love blogging because of the tight correlation with effort and reward compared to what happens at a desk job. So many of us are addicted to blogging when we first start because we experience immediate feedback. When we see new comments on our post we get excited. When we see our site ranking improve and page views climb we do a mental victory lap and keep on going. I firmly believe that anybody who sticks with blogging for at least six months will highly likely reach the one year mark and beyond.

So why do some hit a hump? One reason is that consistently producing content is difficult. We’ve often got day jobs, families, and other commitments. But I suspect another big reason is because we see others who’ve started at the same time achieve way more success than us! Everything is not only relative in finance, it’s relative online as well.

Common Blogging Burnout Complaints

I’ve been a blogger for eight years now so I’ve watched many blogging life cycles of friends and acquaintances that always start with excitement, to realization, to apathy, to sometimes anger, to disappearance altogether. Only a minority really keep on going.

So what are the common complaints from apathetic or angry bloggers about other bloggers?

* They “sell-out.” There are discussions on whether blogging is a form of charity. Given all of us spend way more time on our site than our market hourly wage, I do not understand for one bit why there is something wrong with selling a product you’ve created, highlighting an affiliate whose product you use, or writing reviews on products that might be beneficial to your users. This complaint always comes from a blogger who makes little or nothing online. You know they’d love to, but they don’t have the skills to sell or the fortitude to create their own product yet. It’s easier to just complain about bloggers violating “the true essence” of blogging rather than figure out a great win-win scenario.

* They aren’t doing what they are saying. If you are a frugal blogger, you better not be buying an item of clothing other than at Walmart. If you are an early retirement blogger, you better not lift one finger on something that may generate you income. If you are an entrepreneurial blogger, you better not take on a side job to help make ends meet. The list goes on and on where those who are unhappy with their progress feel a need to box others into a strictly defined space. The fact of the matter is that life is an evolution. Each day is but a snapshot in time.

* They don’t have the credentials. Most bloggers who have this complaint are older, more educated, or think they are much smarter than the average person. When they see someone talk about how to become a millionaire without being a millionaire themselves it pisses them off. We’ve had a great discussion on Yakezie.com about writing and saying things we have no idea about. Given there’s no blogging certification online, we can all say whatever we want. It’s up to consumers to parcel through the smoke and mirrors. The solution we’ve come up with is to just be upfront with our situation and offering up the role of the pontificator. But for those complaining about other people’s lack of credentials, go ahead and write your own highly credentialed post if you’re so worthy!

* They blog about blogging to make money. Everybody knows the fun logic of blogging about blogging to make money blogging. The “purests” will think this way of blogging is one big joke, especially since so many of these types exist. But let’s say you’ve been blogging for years, don’t you have the credibility to teach people about blogging? I think so. Whether you’ll find enough readers and make money is a different story. The real question is why do people care at all about what other people do? At least they have the guts to try.

* They are so narcissistic. From income reports, to videos, to pictures of vacations, to blog status updates, it’s easy for a lot of people to get turned off by so much “look at me” self-promotion. Yet without self-promotion it’s hard for readers to get to know who you are or find credibility in your actions. Self-promotion is a skill that some can deftly display without making it seem too much like self-promotion. The problem is skills have to be honed before aggressively utilized. Deploy too soon and you might blow yourself up. If you find a blogger to be narcissistic, then read something else.

Progress is hard. Success is even harder. But complaining and discrediting other blogger’s efforts is a terrible way to go about things, so don’t do that. Someone will always have it better than you. Instead of being envious, go to the best sites out there and figure out what they’re doing right!

How To Cope And Recover From Blogging Burnout

Nobody is perfect. Don’t beat yourself up if you feel like you’ve hit a wall. Here are some tips to deal with blogging burnout.

Use real-time feedback in terms of traffic, comments, and income or lack thereof to see what you are doing right and what you are doing wrong.

Analyze your recent topics and writing style. If you start going from an average of 10 comments a day to 1, perhaps it’s because your content is boring, too self-congratulatory, stale, not personal enough, too wordy, or not useful.

Reconnect with other bloggers. It helps a lot to get support from fellow bloggers who “get it” and know how you feel. Drop comments on their blogs, send emails, and reach out over social media.

Take seasonal slowdowns into consideration. That can impact income and traffic. It’s not your fault if everyone’s on summer vacation. Try not to let dips discourage you from writing all together and taking care of your blog.

Tackle non-writing related tasks. If you’re suffering from writers block, do some research on SEO trends, clean up your site’s backend, tinker with some new plugins, etc. There are plenty of productive things you can do for your site when you need a break from writing.

Go at your own pace. We all have different skillsets and speeds at getting things done. What one blogger can complete in 45 minutes might take me 3 hours and I’ve come to accept that. Don’t beat yourself up over stuff like this. Focus on what you can do and if you need help, it’s okay to ask or hire help.

Prioritize 1 task a day. When you feel overwhelmed, shrink your to do list by prioritizing on just 1 task a day. If you can handle 3 things, even better. Anything is better than doing nothing at all.

Focus on your long term end game. Give yourself enough time and you will be able to accomplish your goals. Accomplishing 2 things a week leads to 100+ accomplishments a year! By thinking long term, you focus on bigger issues and don’t worry as much about the minor set backs.

There’s no use in feeling embarrassed about blogging burnout. I hope you can use the steps above to bounce back. Trust yourself that you can get over blogging burnout and keep on going. I’m making my way back at my own pace and I’m loving it!

Recommendations

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Start Your Own Profitable Website Today – Want to make more money and be more free? Work on building your brand by creating your own website the easy way with a WordPress site like mine through Bluehost for super cheap. You can register your domain for under $20/year and get hosting for only $3.49/month. Whatever your interests are, focus on building your skills and developing your own unique niche.

I’ve been blogging since 2010 and it has allowed me to break free from the corporate grind to travel, work from home, consult for companies that I like, and do so many more things I’ve always wanted to do but couldn’t. The income is relatively passive as posts I’ve written years ago are still being found through Google and generating income. What’s better than making passive income and creating a valuable asset you can one day sell for a multiple of annual income? I’ve conquered my biggest fears by going off on my own thanks and it feels wonderful. Not a week goes by when I’m not thankful for starting this website!

Untemplaters, have you suffered from blogging burnout? How did you handle it? What are some other times you suffered from burnout at work, hobbies, family responsibilities, misc commitments, etc?

]]>https://untemplater.com/untemplate/how-to-get-over-blogging-burnout-and-keep-on-going/feed/219881https://untemplater.com/untemplate/how-to-get-over-blogging-burnout-and-keep-on-going/Career Lessons From Martial Arts: A Black Belt Is A White Belt That Never Quit!http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Untemplater/~3/gvh6Ak6JmpE/
https://untemplater.com/business/career-business/career-lessons-from-martial-arts-a-black-belt-is-a-white-belt-that-never-quit/#commentsMon, 18 Jun 2018 11:08:07 +0000https://untemplater.com/?p=19978Sometimes our greatest career lessons aren’t learned on the job. Without realizing it, we often pick up skills and mindfulness from outside sources and experiences that we later apply to our careers. For example, the countless hours I spent in the performing arts as a student taught me a lot about discipline, that progress and rewards come from hours of effort, and that getting up in front of an audience isn’t scary it’s fun. Those skills helped me tremendously throughout my career.

Today’s guest post comes from Colleen Kong-Savage. She shares below how martial arts taught her three impactful career lessons, which we can all benefit from. She never expected that her journey with taekwondo would wind up helping her succeed in becoming a published children’s book illustrator.

“A black belt is a white belt that never quit.”

This quote has been my guiding mantra as I build my career as an illustrator of children’s books.

The other week I fulfilled a long-time wish and made my illustration debut in kid lit. The Turtle Ship, written by Helena Ku Rhee and published by Lee & Low Books, launched on June 5. In this picture book, a boy of 16th century Korea takes inspiration from his pet turtle and vies to win the king’s contest for the best battleship design. Poetically, this historical fiction is loosely based on a legendary Korean figure, Admiral Yi Sunsin… one of my favorite taekwondo forms, Chung Moo hyeong, is a tribute to him.

I have been doggedly trying to break into the picture book industry for seven years, and the task is a lot harder than the two inches of wood I had to crack apart with my foot for a brown belt test. But the lessons I have learned in martial arts propel me forward. Creative fields are fiercely competitive. You enter with confidence and a sense of possibility, which all washes away after the first year of constant rejection.

I never want to fight. But nine years ago I tried my first martial arts class. That’s what a wuss does when she wants to try something new. I visited different schools until I found the International School of Martial Arts, where I felt at home. I am unathletic. “Yes, sir” and “No, ma’am” were funny phrases in my mouth. Yelling when I’m not particularly angry or excited also felt odd. Learning taekwondo was like learning a new culture, like trying on a different skin.

Lesson 1: Show Up

I was at the dojang to learn new movement, self defense, discipline, exercise, to meet people. Black belt was not a goal, but the longer I trained, the more possible it became. I rose rank by rank until that black belt was simply there for the taking. Half the work was just showing up. As required, I recorded each class I attended with an x on an attendance sheet. I could see the level of my commitment. The difference in progress between showing up once a week versus three times a week is remarkable.

Likewise with this career in picture books—and illustration in general. I need to show up at my studio desk to do the work. When I began chasing the dream seven years ago, I had a husband, who generously provided me a work space downtown, and a preschooler, who demanded attention. I devoted three hours a week to my first manuscript and took two years to illustrate it. I showed it to one established book illustrator, who kindly never told me how bad my text was and instead referred me to six editors who all politely rejected my work. And that’s how the first round of dream-chasing ended.

I have so much advice for my old self—most important advice: you’ll have to try a LOT harder than that. Fast forward three years… half the week I am without my child because I am divorced, and I am desperate to make it in illustration because I can’t find a solid graphic design job. So began my new work regimen.

I now spend 25-30 hours a week on illustration—I would devote even more hours on my career if I could figure out what else in my life to deprioritize. Only 25% of those hours is actual illustration. The rest of the work involves looking for opportunities, self-promotion, maintaining my portfolio site, venturing into greeting cards, networking online and in person, writing… I throw a ton of proverbial spaghetti at the wall. Most of it slides off, but I am “showing up.” I put in the hours, and thus I am wading through the inevitable failures a lot faster in order to reach the inevitable successes.

Lesson 2: Eat Your Fear

I am a chicken. I don’t like to spar—and yes, I am aware that sparring is the whole point of martial arts. I don’t like diving over objects (although the skill came in handy one unrelated day when I flew off an art installation). I don’t like breaking boards because it hurts when you do it wrong and hematomas are hideous. However, I made myself do those things, knowing that I had to develop those skills to reach the next level of my training.

I am a chicken. Networking makes me squeamish. I do not want to demand audience with an editor or mingle with the mob at a children’s book conference. I do not want to do school visits—public speaking is terrifying, even when that public audience is very cute and much smaller than I am.

As a child, I embarrassed my mother because I could not look people in the eye, let alone smile and converse with them. It took decades of eating my fear before I could push out coherent sentences with strangers. It took decades of faking that I was not a terribly awkward human being before I trusted that I wasn’t. Some people assume I am a natural extrovert. What they assume is extroversion is actually enthusiasm, or in more romantic terms, passion. Things that excite us pull us out of our shells, both consciously and reflexively. I consciously push myself to do those terrifying school visits (with small, cute children) because I love making books for kids. I reflexively have a lot to say when someone asks a great question because the topic excites me.

Finding work, especially in crowded creative fields, is about making connections. So I keep pushing myself out of my studio cave to connect with people in order to win assignments, to see what other artists are doing, and to, well… just connect. We do things we loathe for things that we love. Passion can make you eat your fear.

Lesson 3: Be Open

Before I began training, I had expected a uniform level of accomplishment among martial artists who share the same rank. Not so. We each have our individual strengths and weaknesses. The closer you come to your black belt, the more you realize how little you know.

Humility serves us well. It allows us to be open, which allows us to learn, which allows us to grow. Everyone has something to offer you. When you teach someone, you are strengthening your own knowledge as you break down a technique to its most basic components. If you disagree with someone, you are checking your perspective. It’s not about rank, it’s about knowledge and skill. I have often learned from observations and suggestions of a lower belt. The open channels in my dojang make for a rich community.

Everyone has something to offer. Be ready to offer back. I am grateful that despite fierce competition in the children’s book industry, kid lit makers are exceptionally nice folk: warm, funny, open. When I attend a conference, I look forward to the sense of community. It’s a small world, kid lit. Newbies rub elbows with veterans and superstars. People at the top remember their own hard scramble up the mountain, so they are compassionate and generous with their advice. I am grateful every time someone acknowledges my accomplishments or takes the time to offer constructive feedback. They’re generosity inspires me to do the same. This industry is a hard climb with many jagged rocks. An environment of kindness allows us to stay on the path.

The characters in my new picture book serve as good role models. Sunsin, a boy chasing his dream, is dismissed by everyone around him. He has a splendid spark of an idea and must push and push to be heard by the king. Only by chance does he get to demonstrate the brilliance of his concept.

Everyone and their dog seems to want to publish a children’s book. There is so much noise that the gatekeepers of the industry—the editors, the art directors, the agents—will easily overlook talent. J.K. Rowling’s manuscript for Harry Potter was rejected by 12 publishers before finding a home with Bloomsbury… and 12 is a small number for rejections. Many now established writers have received hundreds. If I want to play the game, I will have to insist over and over again that what I have to offer is worthwhile. I have to keep showing up, so that when that opportunity arises I will be there, too.

And then there is Sunsin’s pet turtle, unassuming and unfazed by all the bustle around him. His lesson is patience. I am often frustrated by how long it is taking to establish myself as an illustrator. At the same time, I recognize my good fortune at being able to afford to even pursue this highly unstable career. Most people don’t have even a year, let alone seven, to build towards a job that, alone, usually does not pay one enough to live on.

I want to be worthy of my opportunities, so I have worked hard as I waited for the door to open. The five tenets of taekwondo are courtesy, self-control, integrity, perseverance, and indomitable spirit. I no longer have the time to train as a martial artist, but the five tenets carry over to my work. They guide me as a visual artist. A black belt is a white belt that never quit.

Free Autographed Book Giveaway

Want a chance to win a free autographed copy of The Turtle Ship? Here’s how to enter

Leave a comment below or email sydney AT Untemplater DOT com for one entry

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All entries must be received by June 30th, 2018.

Untemplaters, what type of career lessons have you learned outside of work that ultimately helped you succeed on the job?

]]>https://untemplater.com/business/career-business/career-lessons-from-martial-arts-a-black-belt-is-a-white-belt-that-never-quit/feed/619978https://untemplater.com/business/career-business/career-lessons-from-martial-arts-a-black-belt-is-a-white-belt-that-never-quit/Are You Willing To Move Back In With Your Parents To Save Money?http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Untemplater/~3/UqAtXZW1uAA/
https://untemplater.com/personal-finance/are-you-willing-to-move-back-in-with-your-parents-to-save-money/#commentsMon, 21 May 2018 11:08:17 +0000https://untemplater.com/?p=19861Another fresh batch of college graduates are tossing their caps in the air. While I’m sure all of them are thrilled to toss out their books and be done with finals, it’s hard to say how many are actually excited about entering the work force. It’s competitive out there, and graduating with a job offer in hand isn’t guaranteed anymore. My babysitter is a perfect example. She’s graduating this week with zero job offers and a big question mark hovering in her future. She’s from LA and could easily move back in with her parents while she tries to find a job, but she’s trying to keep that as plan B for now. Instead, she’s determined to stay in SF where her friends are and plans to continue working for us (phew!) while she prepares to take the GMATs and apply for grad school.

But besides the college to “real world” transition, there are other times when you may be faced with a decision to move back in with your parents. Perhaps you simply miss your home town, got laid off and are having trouble finding a new job, need help with child care, or one of both of your parents is ill and needs extra care. It’s usually not an easy decision to move back home, but it’s one we’ll all probably face at least once in our lives.

Moving Back In Together

I don’t have any plans to move back in with my parents in the foreseeable future, but there’s a possibility we might move in with my in-laws temporarily a few years from now if we decide to relocate. Any type of move can be stressful and time consuming, even if it’s just moving from one end of a street to the other, so I imagine we will have our hands full if we go from living together as a family of three to moving into a multigenerational household in an entirely different state. Even if it’s temporary, there’s a lot of logistics and “stuff” with a toddler in tow!

Multigenerational homes are becoming more and more common now though as families are on tighter budgets, the cost of education and healthcare keeps rising, and millions still struggle to find stable employment. Sure there are benefits and cost savings of having a multigenerational household, but it’s not for everyone. It’s hardest on those who favor lifestyles with lots of freedom and privacy.

Here are some pros and cons to consider if you’re contemplating moving back in with your parents:

Pros

Cost savings, especially if you’re leaving an expensive coastal city like SF or NY.

More support emotionally. Can help with loneliness for you and your parents.

Build stronger relationships with your parents.

Saves time not having to travel back and forth if your parents need care.

If you have kids and your parents are able, they can help with in home day care.

Cons

Less privacy for sure, which can be really tough.

More pressure on the income earners to provide.

Personality conflicts can get hairy.

Clashes with habits and behaviors.

Reduced alone time.

Feeling like a permanent guest/host

Relocating could negatively impact your work or job search.

Did you know that in 2016, 20% of the U.S. population (64 million people), lived in a multigenerational home according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of census data? Check out this graph.

If you’re serious about moving back home with your parents or in-laws, here are some questions to think about and discuss with your family before making a decision.

Things To Think About And Discuss

Will this be a short term, long term, or permanent move?

Is the house big enough for all of us?

Will there be rules, roles, boundaries? How will they be decided and moderated?

Will we hold family meetings? How often?

Who sleeps where? Who uses which bathroom?

Are any rooms off limits to certain people?

What items will/will not be shared?

How will we avoid resentment and resolve conflicts?

How do we make sure everyone gets enough alone time?

How much will this cost/save? Who decides the budget?

How will expenses be handled? Who pays for what?

How will siblings and family members living elsewhere contribute?

Do we need to have fewer/more cars?

How will day care responsibilities be handled, shared?

How will chores be divided? Who is responsible for what?

Who does the cooking? Grocery shopping? Errands?

Is everything in the fridge up for grabs?

Will meals be eaten separately, together, or both? When?

Will vacations be taken as a group, separately, both?

What guidelines should there be for inviting guests?

How will we prepare emotionally, financially, logistically?

How will we manage each other’s expectations?

Treasure, Torture, And A Bit Of Both

I have several friends who are living in multigenerational households already, and they each have their own highs and lows. One simply adores his mother in-law and loves having her live with him and his wife, another tries to hide her unhappiness living with her in-laws by limiting the amount of time she spends at home, a third enjoys the time he gets to share with his father and his own kids but feels constant pressure being the only income earner in a home of six, and a fourth doesn’t mind living with his in-laws because they help take care of their 2 kids and don’t speak English so his wife has to do all the communicating.

Every family situation is different and some people are a lot easier to live with than others! Definitely get prepared and think things through before making this big of a decision. Tension can build up quickly if you don’t communicate openly. Remember it’s not just you who will be affected – everyone in the household will be too!

Untemplaters, I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences! Do you think a multigenerational household is in your future? What are your biggest fears, concerns, comforts, and reassurances?

]]>https://untemplater.com/personal-finance/are-you-willing-to-move-back-in-with-your-parents-to-save-money/feed/819861https://untemplater.com/personal-finance/are-you-willing-to-move-back-in-with-your-parents-to-save-money/Why It’s Worth Starting A Podcast Even If You’re Not A Good Speakerhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Untemplater/~3/So3HV-OBflg/
https://untemplater.com/business/why-its-worth-starting-a-podcast-even-if-its-not-very-good/#commentsMon, 07 May 2018 09:06:29 +0000https://untemplater.com/?p=19845If there wasn’t already enough on my plate as a father to a newborn who publishes 3X a week, I decided to finally start a podcast on iTunes. Each podcast episode takes me about 30 minutes to 1 hour to record on average, due to all the many different takes.

The funny thing is, for the past year, I thought I already had an FS podcast channel on iTunes because my random audio versions were showing up on my Podcast feed on my phone. Alas, I realized only I could see my audio versions and nobody else.

So finally, after being brutally honest with myself and listening to constructive criticism by my readers, I figured out how to officially set up my iTunes channel and get to work.

Reasons Why You Should Start A Podcast Even If You’re Terrible

1) Tap into a massive new audience. An estimated 112+ million people listen to podcasts at least once a month. That is ~40% of the estimated 12 and over population in America. Monthly listeners are growing by around 20% – 25% a year. Meanwhile, the iTunes platform accounts for around 81% of all podcast listeners.

2) You already have the content. One of the hardest things about podcasting is producing a script. If you’ve decided your blog post is good enough to publish, then it’s simply a meaty script for what you can discuss on your podcast. At the very basic level, you can just read off your post as a podcast. Then you can start adding some nuances that can only be found in the podcast. Finally, you can use your topic to record a discussion between two people to add a new dynamic.

3) You get nice links back from Apple. Not only does itunes.apple.com link back to your main page, each podcast your publish links back to your post in the show notes. Further, the show notes can link back to multiple different posts.

4) You get some nice ego boosting reviews. Even if you don’t deserve the great reviews since you just started and don’t know what you’re doing, you’ll still get some positive reviews from long time readers of your site.

5) You practice your communication skills. Being an effective blogger is all about learning how to connect with your audience. If you create audio versions of your podcast, you will catch yourself wanting to improve your written and oral delivery. So many times I’ve found myself going back to edit my posts and podcasts for better flow. The better you are at communicating, the more traffic you will ultimately receive.

6) You might even make some money! After the first month of launching the Financial Samurai iTunes channel, I was approached by two companies who want to advertise. After six months of podcasting, my podcast makes the business $2,000+ a month. That goes a long way to pay for childcare or school.

7) You build your brand. Adding audio is just another way of building your brand, however you envision it to be. Audio versions help crystallize your message. There is much less ambiguity when you can couple prose with audio. Further, a lot of podcasters DON’T have posts! Having both makes your brand that much stronger.

8) You gain respect from your peers. Part of building traffic is getting mentioned by your peers over social media, in their posts, or podcasts. By starting your podcast, you will naturally attract other podcasters who want to give you a shoutout or interview you. Your peers will also respect you for maximizing your content, as they will want to follow suit.

9) Your children, family, and friends will hear your voice long after you’re gone. One of the main reasons why I wanted to start a podcast was so that just in case of my untimely demise or after I pass away from a natural death, my son and my wife can hear me speak for hours and hours if they start missing me. It’s like listening to a voicemail message from a friend over and over again because you miss him or her, but better. The more topics you can discuss on your podcast, the more you will always be a part of your loved ones.

10) You’ll feel proud of yourself for trying your best. We know from data analytics that around 97% of people never take action because they are either afraid, lazy, or don’t know how to get started. Just by launching your podcast, you become one of the 3% who actually try and do something scary and new. Even if you fail, or even if your podcast goes nowhere, you will find great satisfaction knowing that at least you tried. Never fail due to lack of effort because effort requires no skill!

You’ll Be Glad You Started Five Years From Now

When I started Financial Samurai in 2009, there were already hundreds of personal finance blogs online. People said it was way too late. But boy am I glad I went ahead. Financial Samurai gives me a wonderful outlet in early retirement to connect with other people. The site helps stimulate my creativity as well. Most of all, Financial Samurai allows me to never have to go back to work again due to the revenue it generates on top of my passive income streams.

I see the same thing happening to my podcast in 5-10 years time. By then I will have published 250 – 1,000 new podcasts under the Financial Samurai brand. I’m sure I’ll meet many new podcast listeners and podcasters as well. There is no doubt in my mind that if I keep up my efforts, I’ll become a better podcaster and communicator as well. You just never know where your new venture will take you.

Good luck everybody! Luck favors the bold!

Regards,

Sam

]]>https://untemplater.com/business/why-its-worth-starting-a-podcast-even-if-its-not-very-good/feed/219845https://untemplater.com/business/why-its-worth-starting-a-podcast-even-if-its-not-very-good/Blink and it’s gone! Untemplater 2017 Year In Reviewhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Untemplater/~3/QdPoXp2H5to/
https://untemplater.com/self-improvement/blink-and-its-gone/#commentsFri, 29 Dec 2017 08:00:46 +0000https://untemplater.com/?p=19721Blink and it’s gone; another year comes to a close. Time doesn’t stop for anyone, no matter how desperately we need it. You’ve probably got a lot on your mind. I certainly do. Things get crazy this time of year – promotions and raises or frustratingly a lack thereof, figuring out what gifts to buy your family and friends, visiting relatives, dealing with bad weather, scrambling to finish year-end projects, you name it…

Not many people can say they completed every one of their New Year’s resolutions and/or personal goals – I certainly can’t – but hopefully you were able to make some progress with some of yours. Even if you failed in a lot of ways like I did, surely you’ve got some good memories and small wins thrown in there somewhere that you can celebrate.

Sometimes when life gets too crazy and it feels like we can’t get anything done that we want or need to, stepping back and thinking about the big picture helps. And that’s where those three themes come into play, for me at least.

Reflections

It’s been a year of many firsts for me and I’m left feeling extremely grateful and also somewhat melancholy. I definitely had more losses and moments of weakness this year than what seems like any other. Man, I’ve got a frog stuck in my throat just thinking about them. But, thankfully I do have some wins that help make up for my fails that I’m proud of.

I didn’t set too many goals at the start of the year – I admit that was largely because I wanted to avoid having to admit failures – but I’m in the mood to confess so I’ve listed out some more stuff to help me remember when some random day in the future I come back to read this post and reflect on life.

Losses

Publication frequency took a nose dive. If you followed my blog prior to 2017, this is my most obvious fail. In my early years, I published two times a week, maybe even three on occasion. Then it became once a week steadily for a long time. I kept that weekly publication schedule no matter how crazy stressed out I got at my day job. I would have liked to publish more, but weekly became a manageable part of my rhythm. When I got pregnant and approached my third trimester, I stepped up my preparations and got about two months of posts written before I gave birth. I figured I’d be able to handle a weekly posting schedule after taking two months “off.” Boy did I underestimate the time and energy it takes to raise a baby and my ability to get back to my previous schedule. I don’t know when I will get back to weekly publications, but I will continue to write whenever I can.

Failed to expand my personal finance writing portfolio. I had a goal to become a regular contributor on Financial Samurai and totally failed. I wrote one post early in the year, but the topic and timing weren’t quite right and it just wasn’t written well enough for publication so we didn’t release it. I was exhausted in my third trimester and used what little writing energy I had to prep Untemplater’s schedule and didn’t prioritize getting pieces written for FS. And then after becoming a mom, writing majorly went on the back burner. I’m sorry Sam for failing you! I not only failed to write, I also failed to record a single podcast with you. I had good intentions but failed to follow through. Shame on me.

Didn’t complete contingency plans for my business and assets. I met with an estate planner, but unfortunately didn’t get further than that. I wasn’t persistent enough to get things together quickly and the guy I met with also failed to return my calls and emails. I could have hounded him, but too many other things took my attention and he seems too busy or too flaky to get anything done anyway. A friend gave me a few other estate lawyer recommendations that I need to reach out to instead and hopefully make more progress. I did write up some notes and instructions on some business stuff I do, but didn’t get through as much as I should.

Still not a great communicator. My dh has told me many times I’m not a good communicator and he’s right. Bad habits are hard to break, especially the older we get. I need to explain myself better when I speak, listen more closely to others, be more interactive in conversations and be more empathetic. I started reading a good book on communication, but like most things I haven’t finished what I started. I need to finish reading it!

Fear continues to make me hesitate, doubt and say no. I’m a cautious person by nature. Always have been. I too often let fears consume me and make me afraid to do even the dumbest things like take our empty stroller on an escalator when my dh has the baby in a carrier. I’ve seen the warning signs that say don’t do it and my cautious nature tells me not to break the rules even if I’m just pushing an empty stroller. It’s hard for me to let go of my cautious side. But hopefully I can start to ask myself “what’s the worst that could happen” before just saying “no” by default. I need to be more open to trying new things.

Procrastinating too much. I add things to my to do list faster than I take things off. Sigh. I admit that I choose trying to catch up on sleep during most of my precious free time when I have it and thus things just don’t get done. Something’s gotta give. If I want to do more, I’ve got to sacrifice elsewhere and that’s usually sleep.

My cooking skills still suck. I can’t believe I actually set a goal to improve my cooking skills. This seems like such a laughable, dumb goal now. I think I cooked maybe three times since I gave birth and my last attempt was a soup that shouldn’t count because more than half of it went in the trash. It really wasn’t any good. Thank goodness for food delivery in SF or I would have starved this year.

Pushes

Regularly investing $10,000 a month. I started off great with this in the beginning of the year and then got very side tracked with parenthood. Fortunately my dh really helped pick up my slack and invested the cash I had coming in for me. So I don’t deserve credit for this goal, but I was able to keep putting cash to work thanks to him!

Connected with 3 new friends in my neighborhood. I met three new friends who live pretty close by and unfortunately one of them I really liked moved away. Another I didn’t connect with too much, but the last one is really funny and we’ve met up several times. It’s hard for me to meet up frequently due to being low on energy some days and finding times that work for both of us, but I think we’ll be able to hang out more in 2018.

Recorded clips for 1SE more often. I’ve done a great job recording more clips for this app, especially thanks to Live Photos on the iPhone, but have struggled to actually select my daily clips in the app that get linked together for my yearly video. At least I have the footage!

Wins

Became a mom and a darn good one. This is by far my most proud and priceless win for 2017. Having a baby truly is life changing and I feel so blessed to be able to spend my days and nights with him. Every day is different and I’ve learned so much. Time is going fast though so I try to treasure every single moment I have. Even though I don’t do everything by the book and maybe I’ll look back on some things later on and think, “why did I do that” or “I should have done this instead” I’m not stressing about it. It’s impossible to be a perfect parent and there really is no instruction manual. I just use my gut, do my best to figure out what he wants and needs, and give him a lot of love, support and laughter.

Gutting out sleep deprivation. 2017 taught me that success starts with sleep, seriously! I can’t even remember when I last got 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. It was probably summer of 2016 or something lol. But I’ve adapted and think I’ve done a darn good job at not letting interrupted sleep annoy or frustrate me. I just make do with what I can get and power on through.

Breastfeeding. No man will ever fully understand what it’s like to breastfeed or pump and no woman who’s never done them will either. Think it’s straight forward and natural? It’s N-O-T! I won’t bother going into the details, but it’s definitely way more complicated than I ever imagined before I became a mom. Who knew that even lactation consultants don’t give the same advice and instructions lol. Every mom has their own challenges and we just do our best to deal with them and learn things as we go. Fellow nursing mamas, we deserve trophies!

Patience. I’m generally a pretty patient person and this year I had to tap into my patience quite a lot. Sleep deprivation makes it a LOT harder, but I’ve stayed pretty darn level headed and think I’ve done a good job not letting things get me angry or upset. I’ve been around short tempered people throughout my life and career and oddly I think that could be partly why I’ve been able to be so calm. Seeing someone get easily heated makes me not want to do the same. Although I admit, talking to AT&T customer service and Gusto during tax season are my Achilles heal – man they have screwed me over one too many times and dealing with people who just don’t get it really gets under my skin lol.

Onward we go

I hope you had a great 2017. I certainly didn’t get to do everything I hoped to accomplish, but all in all it’s been a phenomenal life changing year. I count my blessings every night and am looking forward to making even more lasting memories in the weeks and months to come.

I wish you all the best in 2018, a big thanks for reading, and with you a Happy New Year!

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